Indian Authorities Raid Home of Environmental Activist Over Fossil Fuel Campaign Allegations
In a surprise move, Indian police have raided the home of prominent environmental activist Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi over claims that their anti-fossil fuel campaign was undermining the country's national interest. The raid was carried out by investigators from India's Enforcement Directorate (ED), which claims that Singh and his wife were paid nearly half a million pounds to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.
The ED alleges that Singh, a co-founder of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), received suspicious foreign inward remittances in the guise of consultancy charges from climate campaign groups. However, cross-verification reveals that these funds were actually intended to promote the agenda of the FFNPT Initiative, an international campaign calling for a treaty to stop exploration for new fossil fuels and gradually phase out their use.
The agency has accused Singh of running Satat Sampada as a front, channelling foreign funds to further the FFNPT cause in India on behalf of foreign influencer groups. The ED suspects misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of these foreign funds, which it claims could expose India to legal challenges in international forums like the International Court of Justice.
Singh and his wife have denied the allegations, stating that they are baseless, biased, and misleading. They claim that Satat Sampada was initially started with their own savings and loans secured on their home, and that the organization's consultancy and management services grew after Singh left his full-time employment to focus more on its work.
The raid comes as civil society organizations in India face severe pressures under the Narendra Modi government. Almost 17,000 licences to receive foreign funding have been suspended, and many civil society groups have shut down. The investigation into Singh began after intelligence received from Cop30, held in Brazil last November, which targeted other activists whose climate campaigns may be inimical to India's energy security.
The incident has raised concerns about the government's intentions towards environmental activism and its commitment to addressing climate change.
In a surprise move, Indian police have raided the home of prominent environmental activist Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi over claims that their anti-fossil fuel campaign was undermining the country's national interest. The raid was carried out by investigators from India's Enforcement Directorate (ED), which claims that Singh and his wife were paid nearly half a million pounds to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.
The ED alleges that Singh, a co-founder of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), received suspicious foreign inward remittances in the guise of consultancy charges from climate campaign groups. However, cross-verification reveals that these funds were actually intended to promote the agenda of the FFNPT Initiative, an international campaign calling for a treaty to stop exploration for new fossil fuels and gradually phase out their use.
The agency has accused Singh of running Satat Sampada as a front, channelling foreign funds to further the FFNPT cause in India on behalf of foreign influencer groups. The ED suspects misdeclaration and misrepresentation of the nature and purpose of these foreign funds, which it claims could expose India to legal challenges in international forums like the International Court of Justice.
Singh and his wife have denied the allegations, stating that they are baseless, biased, and misleading. They claim that Satat Sampada was initially started with their own savings and loans secured on their home, and that the organization's consultancy and management services grew after Singh left his full-time employment to focus more on its work.
The raid comes as civil society organizations in India face severe pressures under the Narendra Modi government. Almost 17,000 licences to receive foreign funding have been suspended, and many civil society groups have shut down. The investigation into Singh began after intelligence received from Cop30, held in Brazil last November, which targeted other activists whose climate campaigns may be inimical to India's energy security.
The incident has raised concerns about the government's intentions towards environmental activism and its commitment to addressing climate change.
! I mean, what's next? Raidin' the homes of scientists who study climate change? 
It's like they're tryin' to silence every single person who speaks out against fossil fuels. And for no reason, just 'cause some foreign groups gave 'em a little cash for doin' their job 
... it's just not right, mate.
I mean, I get that the government's got its own agenda, but do they really need to come after people who are just tryin' to protect the planet? 
It's like we're losin' all sense of reason here... 
this is getting so out of hand! 
Indian authorities are literally cracking down on activists who dare speak out against fossil fuels 
. Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi were just trying to make a difference for the planet 
, and now they're being targeted 
- in this case, it seems like India's government is using environmental activism as an excuse to silence critics 
. Can't they see that climate change is a global problem that requires international cooperation and transparency? 
Not to mention the fact that foreign funding for environmental groups shouldn't be under scrutiny 
The fact that almost 17,000 licences have been suspended and many groups shut down is also really concerning. This must be scaring a lot of activists and making it harder for them to keep fighting for what they believe in. 
I'm getting super worried about these civil society orgs in India 
what is goin on with india? they raid this enviro activist home over fossil fuel campaign allegations 
and its not the first time civil society orgs are gettin squeezed 
almost 17k licences suspended? thats crazy 
. The fact that they're suspending licenses and shutting down organizations is already scaring a lot of civil society groups - this raid just feels like another nail in the coffin 
If we want to protect environmental activism in India, we need to stand up and demand accountability from those in power.
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. It's like the government is trying to control the narrative and stop people from speaking out about issues that really matter. That's just not okay 
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. And I hope others who are fighting for climate action know that they're not alone, even if it feels like the odds are stacked against them 
and whats with the ed agency going after harjeet singh over alleged foreign funding? it sounds like a bunch of bs to me 
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. I mean, what if those funds were legit and just went towards helping other countries transition away from fossil fuels? That would be awesome! But no, instead they're accusing people of misrepresentation and misdeclaration 
. We need more people speaking out like Harjeet Singh, not less 
.
what even is that? seems like a classic case of the government trying to silence anyone who dares to challenge their interests 
. hope Singh and his wife get the justice they deserve 
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. The well-being of our planet depends on the freedom to express dissenting views and push for radical change 
. the idea that satat sampada is just a front for foreign groups is kinda fishy, but we need more info before we jump to conclusions 
.